walker



2 Sheets-Sheet. 1.

D. A. WALKER. A`Stravvr-Cutt'er.

No. 223,781. Patented 1an. 20, 1880.

M'Zzesses: l Y [7m/anton' n fgf MM 72H/w M, fau/15% 2 Sheets-Sheen 2.

- D. A. WALKER.

Straw-Cutter.

Patented 1an. 20, 1880. Ry 2.

NPHERS. PHOWLITHQGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID A. WALKER, OF` SALEM, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS OF` HISRIGHT TO` GEORGE Rf HARRIS, OF SAME PLACE.

sTRAw-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters .Patent NaN/225,781, dated January20, 1880.

. To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID A. WALKER, ofY

` cutting-box; Fig. :3, a front elevation of the same with one of thescrew faceplates or strips removed; Fig. 3, a section in the 'line .r.fr of Fig. 2 5 Fig. 4, a perspective view of one of the metal guidewaysfor the lower cutting-blade and its inverted arch-frame; and Fig. 5, alongitudinal section in the line y 3/ of Fig. 3, showingone of the metalguideways of the lower cutting-blade in position, and with one of itssides forming a portion of one of the guide ways of the carrying-frameof the upper cutting-blade ofthe cutting-box.

The .nature of my invention consists,rst, in a cuttingbox having twocuttingblades, which are operated simultaneously toward and from eachother in parallel vertical planes in separate movable frames in separateguideways by the use of a lever-crank, which is actuated by a handleverthrough a connectingbar, which has its upper end pivoted to thehandlever and its lower end to the crank sec- 0nd, in a cuttingboxhaving two cuttingblades, which are operated at the same speedsimultaneously toward and from each other in parallel vertical planes inseparate movable frames, which travel in separate guideways, thecutting-edge of the lower blade being set horizontal and effecting ahorizontal cut, and the cutting-,edge of the upper blade being setobliquely thereto for the purpose of effecting a drawing cut, while atthe same time the lower blade, 'by reason of its horizontal edge,resists the crowding or bunehing against one side of the cutting-box ofthe straw or hay or other fodder being cut, which the oblique set of theupper cutting-blade is liable to produce; third, in a cutting-box, thecombination` of a Application filed October 15, i879.

lower vertically-moving cutter-blade, an inverted arch-frame forcarrying said blade, and independent ways for said frame to travel in,for giving permanence of position and steadiness of action in theoperation of said blade, and at the same time providing for making thelower blade-frame light, strong, and cheap; fourth,in a cuttingbox," thecombination of the lower cutting-blade and frame and its guideways, theupper cutting-blade and the extension-legs of its carrying-frame,provided with separate guideways, and screw face strips or plates,whereby the pressure of the face strips or plates, being imparted to thesaid legs of the upper cutter-blade frame, causes said legs to bearagainst the ends of the lower cut-i ter-blade, and thus thecutting-edges ofthe two cutting-blades can be made t9 maintain a closecontact with each other as they wear away, while at the same time bothcutter-blades have independent guideways.

In the drawings, A indicates the box to receive the fodder to be cut,and it is provided ;the fodder to the cutting-blades, and at the sametime compress it at the point of its delivery to the action of theblades. This box is `mounted upon a frame consisting of cornerposts Aand A2 and connecting cross-ties, as shown, the front posts, A2, beingprovided with a steady-board, B, which is of a length greater than thewidth of the body ot' the ma-A chine, in order to resist its overturn.The front posts, A2, are rabbeted from their top downward a greaterportion of their length, in order to properly receive the sides of theframe C, to which frame an upper cutting-blade, c, is securely attachedand set in an oblique positiou, as shown, and with its rear surfaceiiush with -the rear surface of the frame C.

As signified in Fig. l, the frame G, above the blade or knife c, is, inpractical construction, made solid or in one piece, but with downwardextensions or limbs c', which extend below the cutting-edge of saidblade, as shown, and have a movement in the rabbets et to the f fullextent of a stroke of said frame.

D D are face strips or plates adjusted to thea posts A2 by screws, asshown in the drawings,

,with the 'usual inclined guide-board c, to guide and with their inneredges made to overlapy the limbs c of the frame (l, as clearly shown inFigs. 1 and 3. In Fig. l I have shown one of these face-strips with aportion broken away, and in Fig. 2 entirely removed, in order to exposeparts in rear thereof; and one function subserved by said strips is toafford a secure front bearing for the frame C and its limbs c in theoperation of the machine, and so, in connection with the rabbets a',form a complete and independent groove or guideway, as at a2, Figs. land 5, in which the frame C makes its up and down movements.

To the frame C a hand-lever, I-I, for operating the cutting-box, isattached by a pivotal screw-connection through a hasp, h, as signifiedin Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, and from the outer end-of` said levera fulcrum-bar, I, extends down to the steady-boardB, said bar, at itsupper end, having a pivotal screw-connection with the lever H, and atitslower end a like connection with the steady-board, as shown. Between thepivotal connection of the hand-lever H to the frame G and the pivotalconnection of the fulcrum-bar I to the outer end of said lever aconnecting-bar, J, is, at its upper end, pivoted to the hand-lever H,while its lower end is pivotally seated to the wrist-pin of the longestarm m of a leveragecrank, L, as shown. This crank L is properly securedto the lower cross tie or beam of the machine; and from the body portionof said crank, but in opposite directions, two crankarm's, m and m',extend outwardly, the arm m being of greater length than the arm m', inorder to impart a leverage power to the cuttin g-frame C', and connectedby its wrist-pin to the connecting-bar J, as before stated, while theother cran k-arm, fm', has its wrist-pin passed through the lower end ofa connecting-bar, J, which, at its upper end, is secured by a pivotalconnection to the lower central portion,e, of the inverted arch-frameC', to which the lower cutting-blade, d, is attached.

The inverted arch-frame C is triade of thin narrow plate metal, and,being open beneath the cutting-'blade d, allows the free escape of thecut fodder at the instant the same is cut. This frame, beingmanufactured of metal, can be made of suitable strength to sustain theblade d, while at the same time it is light, easily constructed,andcheap; and it is secured in position between the posts A2 immediately inrear of the frame C, and works in metallic ways E, applied to saidposts, as represented in Figs. 2, 3, and 5.

The cutting-blade d, atits ends, is secured to the front surface of theframe C', with its cuttin g-edge projecting above the upper ends of saidframe, while at the same time the cutting-face of the blade projects infront of the front sides of the ways E, in which the frame appliedagainst said frame C the cuttingblades c and d of t-he two frames may beforced into close contact, and so held as the cuttingfaces of the bladeswear away by use. To effect this pressure the face strips or plates Dare made to overlap the sides of the upper portion and limbs c' of theframe C, and are applied in position to the posts A2 by screws, as at s,and thus said strips can readily be removed for the insertion of leatheror other proper elastic fabric between the outer face of the posts A2and the inner face of the strips D, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 5,whereupon,

on readjusting and screwing up said strips,V

pressure will be applied to said frame (Land thus effect the desiredjuxtaposition and cutting adjustment of the blades c and d.

rIhe blades c and d being operated at thesame speed, a uniform pressureis simultaneously applied above and beneath the fodder being cut, andthe fodder held steadily at the point of cut, while at the same time thetendency of the oblique set of the blade c to crowd the fodder to oneside away from the point of/cut is counterac-ted by the horizontalascending edge of the blade d.

I claim- 1. In a cutting-box, the cutting-blades c and d, operatedsimultaneously toward and from each other in parallel vertical planes inseparate movable frames and in separate guideways through a lever-crank,L, which is `actuated by a hand-lever, H, through a connectin g-bar, J,which has its upper end pivoted to said hand-lever and its lower end tothe crank, substantially as described.

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2. In a cutting-box, two cutti 11g-blades, c and/tW d, which areoperated at the same speed simultaneously to effect the cut of thefodder, the cutting-edge of the lower blade, d, being set so as toeffect a horizontal cut, and 'the cutting-edge of the upper blade, c,being set obliquely thereto, and both working in parallel verticalplanes in separate movable frames having separate guideways to travelin, substantially as described.

3. In a cutting-box, the combination of a lower vertically-movingcutter-blade, d, an inverted arch-frame, C', and guideways E for saidframe to travel in, which is separate from the guideways'of the frame C,substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a cutting-box, the combination of the lower frame, C', carryingthe cutting-blade (l and moving in its own independentguideways E, theupper frame, C, vcarryin g cutting-blade c and having extended limbs c,and moving in grooves or guideways a2, which are independent of theguideways E, and the screw face strips or plates D, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

DAVID A. WALKER.

In presence of- AZARIAH LANNING, DAVID M. ALsPAUGH.

Cui

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